The aim is to replace oil, not gasoline or diesel. Ethanol gets you part of the way, since most of the time you are replacing oil with (mostly) natural gas. Of course a CNG vehicle would be an easier way to achieve that.

Biofuels, if they are even to make a postive contribution, should be waste-based (not food-based) and should be converted into the same gasoline and diesel that we all use (or at least into something that is completely miscible with existing fuels, like butanol). That way you don’t have to replace the vehicle fleet OR the fuel distribution network, saving many $$$. Perish the thought…

1. Ethanol is not so good now unless you have an E85 burning car. I myself do not so I drive cross the state line to MO to get my petrol. It is my understanding that the funding is to be used to further the science to make it more pleasable to your engine. Remember we already went down a very similiar road when we all switched to Unleaded gasoline in the 70’s.

2. Ethanol fuel is actually better used as fuel for power plants as it stands today. The future it seems, is to go in two direction with Corn/Plant based fuels; Power generation that will charge your electric and a diesel-esque for those of us who like them and the trucking industry.

According to the EPA’s proposed rule revisions (also announced at EthanolFest2009), however, 15 billion gallons of the 36 billion renewable fuels mandate will still be corn ethanol in 2020….Bryan Jennings of the American Coalition For Ethanol goes as far as to identify E10 as the problem “standing in the way of President Obama’s vision.” Why? Because if ethanol blends aren’t increased to E15, E20 or E30, the ethanol companies won’t be able to fund (with the increased blender’s credit money) research of cellulosic ethanol.

This was my point about the E15/E20 waiver applications. Yes, the EPA and the waiver applicants are dressing it up like it’s only giving consumers a choice. But in fact, there’s the renewable fuels mandate from the Bush-Obama energy bill a couple of years ago. The blenders say in their waiver application that they can’t possible get enough corn into the fuel if only E10 is allowed.

The mathematics are simple, then. If E15 isn’t allowed, the insane ethanol mandate will have to be reformed. If E15 is allowed, then the mandate will make it de facto mandatory in many areas, because it’s the only way to put enough corn in tanks.

I guess that wasn’t considered,

Or are there ethanol supporters on TTAC who base their support of ethanol on Ayn Rand’s principles and think that the current administration’s policy toward ethanol comprises an unconstitutional “taking?”

Just askin’.